Yorkshire

A great place to start!

A big Yorkshire welcome to our expanding independent guide to the most scenically diverse region of the UK, produced for you right here in Yorkshire.

Scroll down this page to get up to date with what is going on in Yorkshire and some of the newest additions to Yorkshire.guide

Find your way around Yorkshire.guide

If you’re new to Yorkshire see what it has to offer on our Introduction page.

We have now added more than 1,000 places to our A to Y Gazetteer of Yorkshire. We've listed the cities and towns and now many of the villages, with links to pages providing more information or to pinpoint villages on our unique Yorkshire map.

The Home button links you to many other parts of Yorkshire.guide

And look below for our frequently updated page with some of our newest items about Yorkshire issues and events in more detail .......


Clocks move forward this coming Sunday

British Summer Time

Look forward to brighter evenings ahead as clocks spring forward from 1am Greenwich Mean Time to 2am British Summer Time in the early hours of this Sunday (March 26).

Wentworth WoodhouseOur featured clock is on the tower at one end of the magnificent stone frontage of Wentworth Woodhouse, a back-to-back mansion house which is one of Yorkshire's finest historic houses, at Wentworth, near Rotherham, in South Yorkshire.

 Historic houses   

Huddersfield Literature Festival offers more than 50 events

Several festival events are at the Lawrence Batley TheatreThe award-winning Huddersfield Literature Festival offers a huge range of events in the West Yorkshire town between Thursday March 23 and Sunday April 2.

The annual festival was established in 2006 and offers more than 50 events at accessible venues around the town and online to bring major names and emerging writers and artists to the town at talks, workshops, poetry events and other arts performances.

The University of Huddersfield has events in several locations around the campusThe festival hub will be at The Piazza at Princess Alexandra WalkThe Literature Festival is launched on the evening of Wednesday March 22 (6-8pm) at an event being held at The Parish, The Old Courthouse at Queen Street, Huddersfield, in association with the Kirklees Year of Music 2023. It will involve a film presentation of poetry from Chérie Taylor Battiste set to music by Omar Lyefook together with welcomes from the Kirklees mayor and the festival director. The performance will be simultaneously streamed on social media platforms.

Venues also hosting festival events include the Festival Hub at the Princess Alexandra Walk, Lawrence Batley Theatre, the University of Huddersfield, Tolson Museum at Moldgreen, Small Seeds at the corner of New Street and Castlegate in Huddersfield town centre, Slaithwaite Civic Hall, Honley Library, Holy Trinity Church, Huddersfield and Marsden Mechanics Hall.

More information at the  Huddersfield Literature Festival website.

 Huddersfield   
Yorkshire.guide/Huddersfield

Film Festival weekend in Hebden Bridge

Hebden Bridge Picture HouseIf you prefer films to books, then Hebden Bridge in West Yorkshire is the place to be this weekend.

The town in the Calder Valley stages the Hebden Bridge Film Festival from Friday to Sunday (March 24 to 26) with a packed programme of world cinema aiming to showcase films with a theme of "Hope and Resistance".

The festival venues are the Hebden Bridge Picture House and Hebden Bridge Town Hall.

More details about the festival can be found at the  Hebden Bridge Film Festival website.

 Hebden Bridge   
Yorkshire.guide/HebdenBridge

Engineering work continues to hit rail services

TransPennine Express has diversion routes across the Pennines during engineering work at StalybridgeThere is continuing heavy disruption of TransPennine Express services in Yorkshire as well as over the Pennines due to ongoing upgrade work at Stalybridge in Greater Manchester until April 5. No trains are operating beyond Marsden on the usual TransPennine Express route. A reduced service of trains via Leeds and Dewsbury to Manchester Victoria and Liverpool is diverted by the longer Calder Valley route, but this experienced further reductions with late cancellations last week. Bus replacements have been operating over the Pennines from Huddersfield to Manchester Piccadilly or Manchester Airport, but passengers wanting rail travel might prefer the longer Northern route changing trains from the Huddersfield-Bradford service at Brighouse (Halifax on Sundays and when returning) to travel via the Calder Valley to Manchester Victoria. Trains from Scarborough are terminating at York. Trains from Hull are operating to Huddersfield.

Fuller details on our Rail travel page.

 Rail   

North Yorkshire changes now just days away

North Yorkshire will be experiencing a big change in just a few weeks time as its seven huge district councils, formed by amalgamation of authorities in 1974, are abolished from April 1.

Craven, Hambleton, Harrogate, Richmondshire, Ryedale, Scarborough and Selby District Councils will disappear and the North Yorkshire County Council will be reformed as a "unitary authority" — one which will be massively bigger than any other such authority in the country.

The area is also about 3½ times bigger than Yorkshire's present largest unitary authority, East Riding of Yorkshire.

North Yorkshire is the largest county in England, covering 3,109 square miles, and including around 500 towns and villages and one small city.

The county stretches across around 92 miles west to east and around 67 miles from its northernmost tip to its southernmost point. To drive from Skipton in the West to Scarborough in the east takes, at best, around 2 hours 15 minutes. The area includes two National Parks, three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and a Heritage Coast.

Changes will include the establishment of 30 community networks to help set local priorities at North Yorkshire County Council as it makes budget savings. The Parish and Town Councils of more than 700 parishes across North Yorkshire are also likely to be making a greater contribution to local services. Harrogate and Scarborough are the only towns where these have yet to be established.

Other changes residents will notice will be access to all council services across North Yorkshire through one telephone number, however the county council says there will be a main office in each of the former districts, supported by around 30 new additional local access points across the county.

Read more about the forthcoming changes on this North Yorkshire district abolition page.
Find our Gazetteer list of places covered by the  North Yorkshire unitary authority.

New era for another part of historic Yorkshire

SedberghDentdaleArtengill ViaductAnother part of Yorkshire is being drawn into yet another major local Government upheaval from April 1.

The area around Sedbergh, Dent and Garsdale was part of the West Riding of Yorkshire until the Government decided to change boundaries in 1974 when it was placed into the South Lakeland district of Cumbria.

Now Cumbria, established as an administrative county in 1974, is being split in two as both it and its district councils are being abolished.

The parts of Yorkshire which were in South Lakeland district will be in a new larger Westmorland and Furness unitary authority forming the south-eastern half of the Cumbria split and stretching from Barrow-in-Furness to Penrith.

Westmorland was one of Britain's historic counties, not as old as Yorkshire but with origins in the 13th century. The new district, while including the name, does not match the historic county boundaries but those of three of the 1974 district authorities — Barrow, South Lakeland and Eden.

The Furness of the name reflects the parts of pre-1974 Lancashire in the new authority. Westmorland and Furness includes the part of Yorkshire moved in 1974 and also includes a part of historic Cumberland around Penrith, which is currently the Eden district.

The other new unitary authority formed from the north-west half of the Cumbria split will in fact be known as Cumberland but will exclude the area around Penrith and therefore not match the pre-1974 historic county of Cumberland.

The new Westmorland and Furness authority will retain offices in Barrow, Penrith and its principal base of Kendal, which was the centre of the South Lakeland district.

Kendal has Westmorland's County Hall, built at the end of the 1930s after Kendal had become the meeting place of the Westmorland County Council. However, Appleby was for many centuries the original Westmorland county town.

The area around Sedbergh, Dent and Garsdale continue to be within the Yorkshire Dales National Park.

Discover Yorkshire castles

Pontefract Castle, West YorkshireOur latest selection of pictures on our Pictures page features some of Yorkshire's castles.

Yorkshire is a region of fine stone castles, though much of this grand architecture has been reduced to ruins during turbulent times in the region's past. The castles are rich in their history as homes in times of peace and strongholds in times of civil war. Some still dominate the landscape while in some locations there is now little evidence of their darkest days.

Our Castles page tells you more about their history, which castles have open access and those with an admissions policy. You can follow our links to the site manager's own websites to check when the sites are open, admission prices and if you need to book before your visit.

 Pictures    Castles   
Yorkshire.guide/pictures    Yorkshire.guide/castles

Clean air Sheffield doubling electric vehicle charge fees

Buses and taxis now face Clean Air charges in Sheffield but private car drivers will not have to payA month after introducing a Clean Air Zone for Sheffield, the city council is more than doubling the cost of electric vehicle charging.

A Clean Air Zone started in Sheffield on Monday February 27 presenting charges for polluting vehicles including public transport like buses and taxis.

From April 1 the council is increasing fees at electric vehicle charging points situated in its car parks from 30p/kWh to 72p/kWh.

The council says the increase will bring it into line with the national average price amid significant rises in energy prices.

The Clean Air Zone affects road users on and within the A61/A57 Sheffield ring road. Some roundabouts at the western side of the city allow vehicles to turn to avoid entering the Clean Air Zone, but that is not the case at the eastern side of the city.

Heavy goods vehicles, buses and coaches which do not meet minimum standards face a hefty £50 daily charge if entering the zone. Payments can be up to six days before or after driving in the zone.

The Sheffield Clean Air ZoneLight goods vehicles and taxis not meeting the standards, or one of various exceptions, face a £10 charge. Sheffield hackney carriages will have a temporary exemption until June 5 and Sheffield and Rotherham businesses with light goods vehicles not meeting the standards can also apply for an exemption until that date. Large campervans and motorhomes can apply for a discounted rate.

The minimum standards for diesel and petrol vehicles falling into these categories are generally those vehicles defined as having Euro 6 diesel or Euro 4 petrol engines.

Private car owners and motorcyclists should not need to worry about Clean Air as it does not affect them.

While we would urge you to park up to surf the internet and not to do so while driving, further details are at this  Sheffield Clean Air Zone page.

 Sheffield   
Yorkshire.guide/Sheffield

Scenic route to Whitby will continue for £2 fare

An 840 bus climbs into the North York Moors from WhitbyA Yorkshire bus service which was voted Britain’s Most Scenic Bus route in a national survey in 2018 will continue and will not be withdrawn in early April.

It follows extra Government funding to support buses which will extend a £2 fare cap scheme for a further three months until the end of June.

The Coastliner 840 service is one of many routes taking part in the Government-funded scheme which offers single bus journeys anywhere for just £2. It takes a route of more than 70 miles from Leeds via Tadcaster, York, Malton, Kirby Misperton, Pickering, Thornton-le-Dale and Goathland to Whitby with a full journey time of around 3 hours 25 minutes.

A review of the route will now take place in the Autumn as parent bus company Transdev works with North Yorkshire County Council on longer-term plans.

Despite the fantastic route, the bright-blue double-deckers had been struggling to find enough regular passengers before the £2 scheme, especially during the winter months. It led to to some residents along the route recently launching a "Save the 840" petition after hearing the route was under review with fears it might come to an end unless it received public subsidies.

Back in 2018, more than 5,000 people voted in the online bid to find the most scenic bus route in Britain. Among other Yorkshire nominations were the 351 service operating on Fridays from Holmfirth over Holme Moss to Glossop in Derbyshire and Brontë Bus B3 services between Keighley and Hebden Bridge.

The Government national £2 fare cap scheme running until the end of June is in addition to longer-term £2 schemes currently operating within the boundaries of West Yorkshire and South Yorkshire.

Not all routes are included in the Government £2 fare cap scheme, although some are listed as not included while being included in the West Yorkshire or South Yorkshire £2 fare cap scheme.
Details can be found at this  GOV.UK - £2 bus fare cap web page.

 Bus   

Beauty and history on 60 miles of heritage coast

Flamborough, East Riding of YorkshireRobin Hood's Bay, North YorkshireHeritage coast in North YorkshireYorkshire's beautiful and varied coastline includes not only wonderful seaside resorts, but no less than 60 miles defined as Heritage Coast by Natural England.

Divided into three sections to the north, centre and south of the Yorkshire coastline, it offers picturesque and sometimes isolated locations where the natural wonders of Yorkshire and the North Sea collide.

Find out more on our Heritage Coasts page.

 Heritage Coasts   

York among the most welcoming places on Earth

YorkYork city walls and MinsterThe Shambles, YorkThe city of York has been named among the 10 Most Welcoming Places on Earth 2023 by online travel booking service Booking.com .

The travel company point to the great selection of things to do in the historic medieval-walled city.

York provided a UK destination among the World's 10 most welcoming places which also included Polignano a Mare, Italy; Huallen City, Taiwan; San Sebastian, Spain; Dresden, Germany; Klaipeda, Lithuania; Ushuaia, Argentina; Porto de Galinhas, Brazil; Mexico City, Mexico; and Gold Coast, Australia.

York, at one time the seat of the Emperor of Rome and later a historic Viking settlement, is no stranger to plaudits having in recent years been named as Britain's favourite city in a YouGov poll and a best place in the UK to live by The Sunday Times.

 York   
Yorkshire.guide/York




Yorkshire mixture

Here are links to a few favourite pages at Yorkshire.guide:

Cities Largest towns and cities Population Gazetteer Abbeys Castles Film locations Heritage Coast Heritage railways Highest mountains Historic Houses North Pennines North York Moors Museums Peak District Racecourses Seaside York Yorkshire Dales Yorkshire football Railway stations

On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at

If you’re from Yorkshire you will probably recognise our background picture as the Cow and Calf Rocks on Ilkley Moor, famous as the location of the Yorkshire dialect anthem "On Ilkla Moor Baht ’at". More on Ilkley.

Yorkshire news topics


Thornborough Henges: 'Stonehenge of the North' opens to the public

Sheffield on top city break list: South Yorkshire city second on list of 18 European destinations

News archive 2022: News from 2022.

News archive 2021: News from 2021.

News archive 2020: News from 2020.

News archive 2019: News from 2019.

News archive 2018: News from 2018.

News archive 2017: News from 2017.

Also in Yorkshire.guide

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